Guinea closes borders

Guinea’s ruling junta announced on Saturday that it had closed the West African country’s borders. It’s a move that a military source said was linked to an imminent ruling on challenges to the outcome of this month’s presidential poll.

“The government has decided to close land, sea, air and river borders,” said an announcement read out on state television that gave no further details.

A military source said the step had been taken because the Supreme Court would soon rule on challenges to preliminary results that put opposition leader Alpha Condé ahead of ex-premier Cellou Dalein Diallo in the November 7 election, which is aimed at restoring civilian rule in the top bauxite exporter.

State of emergency
The Supreme Court has until December 2 to rule on complaints of irregularities in several constituencies, which Mr Diallo believes would reverse Mr Condé’s preliminary victory, in which he won 52.5 percent and Mr Diallo 47 percent.

The government has already declared a state of emergency and imposed an overnight curfew after the announcement of the results triggered three days of violence in which at least ten people were killed, according to one rights group. The state of emergency was to be lifted once final results are announced by the Supreme Court, at the latest on Thursday.

Chief of staff sacked
Mr Diallo’s supporters are mostly from the Peul ethnic group, which comprises around 40 percent of the population. Mr Condé is from the slightly smaller Malinke group, and managed to win more votes from other ethnic minorities.

Separately, the army announced that deputy chief of staff Aboubacar Sidiki Camara had been sacked. It gave no reason, but the same military source said the move appeared to be linked to internal rivalries within the fractious armed forces.

Sources: Reuters, AFP

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